Illegal Mining Returns In Taraba As Gen Faransa’s Taskforce Now Focuses On Charcoal

 

Illegal mining activities are again in full swing in Taraba State, as miners who were earlier chased away from sites by the state Task Force on Environmental Protection, Public Safety and Prohibition of Deforestation headed by General Jeremiah Faransa are back in business.

 

The miners, who have regrouped in camps across the state, were reported to be buoyed by the delay in issuing the guidelines for formal operations in the sector, since the official suspension of mining by the state government for more than one year now.

 

Beside, the Task Force was incapacitated in carrying out sustained crack down on sites and camps due to the difficult terrains and the team will require specialised vehicles to reach such places fast and easily, several sources said the taskforce have been spending more time on crackdown on charcoal within urban areas.

 

Investigations revealed that it took between 5-6 hours to reach most of these mining camps due to their mountainous locations, it was therefore very difficult for the Task Force to maintain constant raids as a result of distances.

 

In Abujan Leda mining camp within the Jamtari ward of Gashaka Local Government Area, our undercover team saw a beehive-like activity going on, with workers digging away without any sign of fear of being arrested.

 

A labourer, who simply identified himself as Farouku Argungutold our correspondent that he has been in the camp for more than five years now and had witnessed about four raids by the Task Force in the last one year.

 

He however, added that each time they were coming for raids, residents of the camp always had forehand information.

 

Though he declined details on the volume and value of the Sapphire and Quartz being harvested weekly on site, he said the deposits in the ground were unquantifiable, at least going by what was being mined weekly.

 

The amount of environmental damages left on the trail of the uncoordinated precious stone mining our team saw in Abujan-Leda could only be left to imagination.

 

Abdullahi Sani Mayanchi, an Ibadan-based businessman, was said to be the brain behind this particular camp.

 

He was reported to have the penchant to return to work immediately each time the General Jeremiah Faransa-led task force leaves the camp after patrols.

 

Abdullahi Zamfara, according to our findings, operate the camp in conjunction with the District Head of Jamtari, who was reported to have given consent to the miner even when the state government has issued a directive asking traditional rulers to stay off mining activities in their domains.

 

Efforts to contact the district head failed, as calls to his phone could not go through.

 

But when contacted on phone while our team was within the vicinity of the camp, Mayanchi, popularly known as AbdullahiZamfara denied being in charge of excavations, saying since the task force first burnt down the camp, he had not yet been there.

 

When pressed further he admitted that he has two of his brothers in the camp, but quickly added that once labourers were camped at a mine, they hardly would vacate no matter the intimidation.

 

Spokesman for the task force, Zuppai Ibrahim told our correspondent that they had raided that particular camp about four times, but wondered why the people refused to vacate the site.

 

He said the Task Force will not relent on its assignment despite all odds, until everybody complies with the laws guiding mining in the state.

 

Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice YakubuMaikasuwa confirmed that the guidelines on mining in the state will be made public as soon as legislative processes were completed.

 

He said once the guidelines were released, anyone or groups that would dig the soil beyond five meters in the state would have to pay for it.